Method of attaching labels to aluminum ware



Patented Feb. 23, 1926.

airs stares arena" i ll 0 AARON MARTIN I-IAGEMAN, OF BLOGMFIELD, ITEVJ JERSEY, ASSIGNOR T0 WESTIl IG- HOUSE LAMP COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF PENNSYLVANIA.

METHOD C'F ATTACHING LABELS TO ALUIiIIN'UM WARE.

No Dre wing.

To all 1072012 it may concern:

Be it known that I, AARON ldAn'rrN Hasn- MAN, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Bloomfield, in the county of Essex and State of Blew Jersey, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Methods of Attaching Labels to Aluminum dVlll'Q, of which the following is a specification.

"This invention relates to the application of labels or coverings to metals and more particularly it relates to the method of applying small paper labels to surfaces of aluminum.

An'object of the invention is he provision of a novel method of firmly affixing labels to metal surfaces.

Another object is to provide a method for affixing a gummed paper label to an aluminum article.

Gther objects of the invention will be apparent from a reading of the following description.

Aluminum metal has,by reason of its several characteristics especially that of light weight, come into general favor and use, and has, therefore, been employed in malting a great variety of articles. It has been found, however, that when gummed labels are applied to these articles for purposes of designating the contents thereof or for other purposes, that they soon curl and drop off. The present invention contemplates a method for permanently affixing labels to aluminum articles.

The detailed description of the method will be made in connection with the application of a gummed paper label to an aluminum article such as a spool upon which a fine filamentary wire may be wound.

The first step in carrying out the method consists in cleaning the spool or a particular portion thereof to remove surface coat ings of foreign materials such as oils, greases and other impurities. This step although not an essential one to the practice of my invention is nevertheless, a desirable one.

The second and most important step of the method is to roughen the surface of the aluminum to obtain gripping surfaces for the gum or adhesive on the label. This roughening may be accomplished in several different ways, but a preferred one is to subject the surface to a heat treatment. My

Application filed June 29,

1921. Serial No. 481,210.

experience has shown that by heating the surface to a temperature approximating 350 C. and maintaining this temperature for about fifteen minutes. -it llttiUlllGS so roughened that it will retain a a'ummed label applied thereto. Further results indicate that the surfaces became sufliciently roughened when they were heated to temperatures ranging between 900 and 500 C. In some instances, intervals of time during which heat was applied was varied. None of the treatments were, however, conducted at temperatures which approached the annealing temperature of the particular metallurgical composition of the aluminum under treatment. Of course. after heat-treating the article, the same is allowed to cool suiliciently so that when a gummed paper label, for example, is applied thereto, it will not be charred or burned. Although the pre cise reason for the action of the heat upon the metal is not definitely lanown it is believed that the amorphous aluminum and other materials which are not held by the aluminum crystals are vaporized out, leaving; series of pinnacles and cavities.

A. ter the surface has been prepared, the gun'imed label is applied thereto in the usual manner. In the event that an ungummed label is to be employed, a coating; of a desirable adhesive is first applied to the roughened surface or to the label before the label is pressed into position.

Since the 'l orog'oing; description has been. 'mrticularly directed to the application of a label to an aluminum spool, it is desired that such a restricted application be considered as an example only, for it is readily conceivable that a. covering; oi a flexible material. may be applied to all surfaces of an aluminum article. .s rlso this method mar be employed in ailiriug labels or coveriumto surfaces of other metals which do not readily lend themselves to hold adhesive labels.

lVhat is claimed is:

'1. T he method of firmly alliitiun' a label to aluminum wave which con'mrises heating a. portion of the surface of the ware to roughon it for the purpose of retaining an adhesive and applying a. label thereto after cooling.

That method of affixing a label to an aluminum article, which comprises roughening by heat treatment that portion of the to a surface of aluminum which consists in heat treating said aluminum to volatilize some of the amorphous aluminum and ap plying an adhesive label to said surface.

(5. lhe method of firmly atlixing a gummed label to aluminum ware which consists in heating said ware to a temperature less than its annealing temperature, cooling the same and applying a gummed label thereto.

6. The method of firmly allixing a gummed paper to an aluminum surface nhieh consists in heating the aluminum surface to a temperatm'e ranging between 200 and 500 C. for approximately lifteen min utes, allowing to cool and applying the gummed paper.

7. The method of firmly allixing a gummed label to a surface of aluminum comprising removing impurities from said surface and heating the surface to a temperature higher than 200 C. and less than its'annealing temperature, allowing to cool and applying the gummed label thereto.

. 8. The method of securely attaching a gummed article to an aluminum surface comprising cleaning said surface and heating'the same to a temperature approximating 350 (1' for a length .of time approximat ng 15 minutes, allowing to cool and applying the gummed article thereto.

9. The method of preparing aluminum so that it will retain. a gummed label comprising roughening said surface by heating to a temperature between 200 and 500 C.

10. The method of treating the surface of an article of aluminum whereby it will retain a gummed label thereon comprising removing foreign matter such as grease and dirt from said surface and roughening the same by heating to a temperature higher than 200 C. but-less than the annealing temperature.

11. The method of treating an aluminum surface whereby it will retain a gummed label comprising removing foreign matter from said suriace and heat treating the same to a temperature of approximately 350 C. to rouglien it.

12. The method of preparing a metallic article whereby it will retain a gummed label comprising roughening the surface thereof by heat treatment at a temperature of from 200 to 500 C. for approximately fifteen minutes.

13. The method of treating a metallic article whereby it will retain a gummed label tnereon eon'iprising cleaning the surface of said article and heating to about 350 C. for about fifteen n'iinutes for the purpose of roughening said surface.

14. An alun'iinnm article having a heattreated metallic surface with agummed lubel applied thereto.

15. An aluminum article having a portion of the surface thereof so conditioned by a heat-treatment as to firmly retain a gummed label when applied thereto.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name this 28th day of June AARON MARTIN HAGEMAN. 

